


(find me) in the blank spaces

by shieldmyheart



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Drama, Eventual Fluff, F/M, Light Angst, Model AU, Modern Era, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Alternating
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-04
Updated: 2018-02-04
Packaged: 2019-03-13 17:26:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,530
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13575414
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shieldmyheart/pseuds/shieldmyheart
Summary: Rhia Kass is an up-and-coming fashion blogger. Kylo Ren is the world-famous model she’s been tasked to interview. As they find themselves drifting closer during the course of her assignment, secrets arise that could jeopardize their careers and values.





	(find me) in the blank spaces

**Author's Note:**

> hey, wow, okay so this is my first venture into writing kylo. um, let’s see how this goes, shall we?

Armitage poured himself a glass of wine as he waited for his dinner to finish heating. He was famished. It had been a long day of juggling clients, meetings, and endless phone calls, so busy he had barely enough time to scarf down the meticulously prepared and packed lunch he had brought from home. But all that was behind him now. For the rest of the evening he could relax with a drink and hot meal, free from distractions.

The kitchen timer chimed, alerting Armitage to his waiting meal. He removed the warmed plate from the oven, bringing it to the table along with his wine glass and phone. He usually waited until after dinner to indulge in an hour or two of visual entertainment, but tonight he was feeling rebellious. He propped his phone up against the salt and pepper shakers after choosing a worthy movie to watch with his meal.

Armitage had taken a few bites of his food before he received a notification on his phone. Sighing, he put down his utensils and picked up his phone. With the movie paused, Armitage went to his notifications bar to view the new message. However, it wasn’t a text he had gotten but an alert he put in place to monitor his biggest – and most troublesome -- client.

“What did he do _now_?” Armitage muttered to himself as he clicked on the link.

A breaking news story on a moderately popular gossip site featuring a candid picture of his client in the midst of a verbal altercation was what greeted him. The post was dated only an hour earlier with a promise of keeping the readers updated as the story developed. Just wonderful. Exactly how Armitage wanted to spend his Thursday night: running damage control on Kylo Ren once again.

Why the moody model couldn’t keep calm for one second was beyond Armitage. Why he continued to represent the brooding brute was yet another mystery.

Well…not entirely. Ren _did_ pull in high-earning gigs despite his attitude which meant, in turn, Armitage earned a hefty paycheck as well. He couldn’t possibly be able to afford his luxurious lifestyle on the salaries of his other clients alone. And Armitage did like nice things. He supposed dealing with Ren’s temper was needed in order to enjoy the finer things in life.

Oh, but it was becoming tiresome. The continuous bad press was likely to affect Ren’s career along with Armitage’s if it didn’t cease soon. Ren’s behavior wasn’t going to change, Armitage knew that, but there had to be a way to fix this whole mess besides the usual tactics. The price to squash a Kylo Ren story had risen and it was becoming more difficult for Armitage to pay off various editors and photogs. There had to be a way to shift the focus from his client’s public outbursts or at least lessen the blow of them.

As Armitage fished around the web in search of the author’s contact information (this story needed to be killed sooner rather than later), an idea struck him as clear as day. With the right person, the right resources he could sway public opinion about his client and keep the high-end contracts coming in. After several phone-calls and emails to those involved in the latest Kylo Ren incident, Armitage sent one final email.

\-------

Rhia stared at the screen of her laptop, not quite believing what was written before her. She blinked several times and read the email again to ensure she was understanding it correctly. Armitage Hux, manager to the rich and famous, had invited her to lunch to discuss a possible assignment. Usually, she was the one reaching out to him (more like begging) to see if she could interview one of his clients. Getting his email was certainly a surprise, but a welcomed one.

Hux didn’t let just anyone interview his clients, so his willingness to reach out to her could only mean this assignment was of the utmost importance. Or so she thought as he hadn’t indicated as much in his message. He hadn’t indicated much at all except to request she meet with him the following day at an upscale restaurant to talk potential business. But it had to be something worthwhile if he was setting up a meeting, right?

Rhia chewed thoughtfully on her bottom lip. Honestly, she had very little to lose in this arrangement – whatever it may be. As a freelance fashion blogger, anytime she could get the scoop firsthand from designers, managers, and the celebrities themselves, it helped build her reputation – and readership. Three long years she had dedicated to her blog, but she was ready for something more substantial and steady. Perhaps if this assignment garnered enough attention she could land a staff position with a major fashion magazine…

Her mind was made up. Rhia sent a simple reply to Hux, anxious to hear about his proposal and the implications that came with it.

\------

The lunch crowd at Canto Bight Midtown was lighter than Rhia expected, but then again, the high prices did keep most people from venturing inside. She liked it better this way, fewer people to overhear her meeting with Armitage Hux and possibly scoop the story before her.

The immaculately dressed host showed Rhia to the table where Hux was already seated, his signature red hair neatly combed and gelled in place. The host pulled out her chair, placing a menu on the table in front of her before hurrying back to their station.

“Ms. Kass,” Hux greeted from behind his menu without a glance in her direction.

“Mr. Hux,” she responded, picking up her own menu.

“Your latest post about Yavinian formalwear was refreshing.”

“Thank you. I pride myself on staying up-to-date with the latest trends.”

“Yes, your insight is most impressive.”

He finally lowered his menu and Rhia followed suit, waiting for him to divulge why he wanted to meet with her. Before either of them could get another word out, their server appeared to take their order: Hux requesting the daily special while Rhia opted for a simple pasta dish.

“Now to the business at hand,” Hux started once the server had left them. He unwrapped the cloth napkin from around his utensils and gently placed it in his lap. “As you well know, one of the clients I oversee is Kylo Ren.”

Rhia sipped from her water glass graciously. “Hmm, indeed I do. Last time we spoke it was three months ago when he appeared at Coruscant Fashion Week.”

“Your coverage of his work has been incomparable…and the type of content we need to keep the focus on his career.”

A jolt of pride ran through her at his sentiment. Hearing such high praise from Armitage Hux was, quite frankly, unheard of usually. But she was the exception. Rhia let herself smile at his words.

“Keep the focus?” she pondered aloud.

“Yes, that’s why I’ve called this meeting.” Their server returned with their dishes, placing the rounded plates in front of them. “Recently, there has been some unwanted press about Kylo.”

She chewed a mouthful of pasta before responding. “Really? I haven’t heard anything…”

“Of course not,” he snapped, fork paused midway to his awaiting mouth. “What kind of manager would I be if I let that kind of attention detract from my client’s work?”

“It seems you have everything under control, so why contact me?”

“The fame of my client grows each day and with that comes public interest and scrutiny. If the wrong kind of story gets out about him –”

“—then his reputation would be tarnished.”

“Precisely.”

“I still don’t understand why you need me.”

“The cost to keep his name out of the tabloids is running higher than I would like. My idea was for you to write an insightful piece on Kylo, something that will stay true to his character yet illuminates new aspects of him. Something the public can reference as confirmation of the real Kylo Ren.”

An in-depth personal story on Kylo Ren, one of, if not, the most famous model in the world? It was an assignment like none she had ever done before. It could skyrocket her career. How could she say no?

“How much will I be compensated?”

“Handsomely.”

“I’ll need figures, Mr. Hux.”

Prepared as always, Armitage slid a neatly folded slip of paper across the table to Rhia. She took it into her lap and read it. Well, if the proposition wasn’t enticing before, it certainly was now. She knew not to seem too eager, though, so she tucked the paper into her purse and quietly finished her meal.

“Do we have an agreement, Ms. Kass?” Hux asked moments later as the server came to clear away their dishes.

Rhia looked over at Hux. His slicked-back hair and tailored suit made for a confident man, but the creases in his brow showed his concern. This deal was important to him. She may not have known all that was on the line for him, but she knew what was riding on it for herself. And that was the only thing she needed to know.

“When do I start?”

**Author's Note:**

> come find me on tumblr @ reybel-scum


End file.
